The invention is a safety panel for a bicycle and a bicycle and safety panel combination made of rigid display area with a thickness of {fraction (1/32)}th, a first side, a second side, a first attachment end for folding over the first spoke, a second attachment end for folding over the second spoke, a first adhesive strip and a second adhesive strip disposed on the first side and on the first attachment end, wherein the first adhesive strip is proximate to the second adhesive strip and the first adhesive strip secures to the second adhesive strip, and a third adhesive strip and a fourth adhesive strip disposed the first side and on the second attachment end, wherein the third adhesive strip is proximate to the fourth adhesive strip and the third adhesive strip secures to the fourth adhesive strip.
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27. A safety panel for a bicycle having a first wheel and a second wheel and said first wheel has a first spoke and a second spoke, comprising
a. a rigid display support comprising i. a first support end; ii. a second support end; iii. a first support side adapted for folding over the first spoke; iv. a second support side adapted for folding over the second spoke; and v. wherein said rigid display support has a thickness of {fraction (1/32)}th inch; b. a first adhesive strip and a second adhesive strip disposed on the first support side and on the first support end; c. a third adhesive strip and a fourth adhesive strip disposed on the first support side and on the second support end; and d. a rigid display top having pigment embedded in the top, for attaching to said rigid display support, forming a laminate, and wherein said first spoke is disposed between said first and second adhesive strips and between said rigid display top and said rigid display support, and said second spoke is disposed between said third and fourth adhesive strips between said rigid display top and said rigid display support.
1. A safety panel for a bicycle comprising a first wheel and a second wheel, and wherein the first wheel has a first spoke and a second spoke, comprising:
a. a rigid display area comprising i. a first side; ii. a second side; iii. a first attachment end for folding over the first spoke; iv. a second attachment end for folding over the second spoke; v. wherein the rigid display area has a thickness of {fraction (1/32)}th inch; and vi. wherein the rigid display area has a pigment disposed on the rigid display area selected from the group consisting of fluorescent, phosphorescent, and luminescent; b. a first adhesive strip and a second adhesive strip disposed on the first side and on the first attachment end, wherein the first adhesive strip is proximate to the second adhesive strip and the first adhesive strip secures to said second adhesive strip; and c. a third adhesive strip and a fourth adhesive strip disposed on the first side and on the second attachment end, wherein the third adhesive strip is proximate to the fourth adhesive strip and said third adhesive strip secures to said fourth adhesive strip.
26. A bicycle and safety panel combination, wherein said bicycle has a first wheel, and a second wheel, and wherein said first wheel has a first spoke and a second spoke, and said safety device comprises:
a. a rigid display area comprising i. a first side; ii. a second side; iii. a first attachment end for attachment around the first spoke; iv. a second attachment end for attachment around the first spoke; v. wherein said rigid display area has a thickness of {fraction (1/32)}nd inch; and vi. wherein a pigment is embedded on the rigid display area; b. a fold formed in said rigid display area, wherein said rigid display area wraps around the second spoke, and is oriented in a direction of wheel rotation; c. a first adhesive strip and a second adhesive strip disposed on the first side and on the first attachment end; d. a third adhesive strip and a fourth adhesive strip disposed on the first side proximate to each other and to the fold; and e. wherein the first attachment end of the rigid display area folds around the second spoke and secures to the first and second adhesive strips on one side of said first spoke and secures to said third and fourth adhesive strips on another side of the first spoke such that said second spoke nestles within said fold.
15. A safety panel for a bicycle having a first wheel and a second wheel, wherein said first wheel has a first spoke and a second spoke, comprising:
a. a rigid display area comprising i. a first side; ii. a second side; iii. a first attachment end for folding over the first spoke; iv. a second attachment end for folding over the second spoke; v. wherein the rigid display area has a thickness of {fraction (1/32)}nd inch; and vi. wherein the rigid display area has a pigment disposed on the rigid display area selected from the group consisting of fluorescent, phosphorescent, and luminescent; b. a first adhesive strip and a second adhesive strip disposed on the first side and on the first attachment end, wherein the first adhesive strip is proximate to the second adhesive strip; c. a third adhesive strip and a fourth adhesive strip disposed on the first side and on the second attachment end, wherein the third adhesive strip is proximate to the fourth adhesive strip; and d. a fold formed in said rigid display area, wherein said rigid display area wraps around the second spoke, in a direction of wheel rotation, and said first adhesive strip adheres to said fourth adhesive strip, and said second adhesive strip adheres to said third adhesive strip and said second spoke nestles within said fold and said first spoke is disposed between the adhered first and fourth adhesive strips and the adhered second and third adhesive strips.
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The present application claims priority to Pending patent application Ser. No. 60/357,378 filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Feb. 15, 2002.
This invention generally relates to a safety panel that can be easily installed around the spokes of a bicycle wheel or any wheel having spokes.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a safety device that can contain fluorescent paint between spokes and can work on any size bicycle, tricycle, or other vehicle having wheels with spokes.
A need has long existed for a safety panel which does not impede operation of the wheel, and can be easily installed on a variety of sizes of vehicles having wheels with spokes. The present invention meets this need.
Bicycling is becoming an increasingly more popular form of recreation as well as a means of transportation. Children are using bicycles at night, entering traffic to get around, and they need to be seen as they ride the bikes.
There are many different types of bicycle wheels with different sizes and spoke orientations, different numbers of spokes, shapes of the spokes and other things. Racers use fewer spokes in order to decrease wind resistance. Small children typically have bicycles with more spokes. A safety device, which can contain pigment, which can easily be installed on children's bikes has long been needed.
A relatively conventional wheel has thirty-six spokes, with adjacent spokes intersecting each other at approximately 27 degrees. Such spokes are typically approximately two millimeters in diameter. More recently, bicycle wheels have been designed with fewer spokes to improve the performance of the bicycle wheel. For example, bicycle wheels have been developed with sixteen spokes. A bicycle wheel with sixteen spokes typically has its spokes intersecting at approximately 54 degrees. The present invention has been designed to meet the needs of the various spoke sizes.
In view of the above, there exists a need for a safety panel which overcomes the above mentioned problems in the prior art. This invention addresses this need in the prior art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.
This invention relates to a safety panel for a bicycle having two wheels, wherein the display area has fluorescent or phosphorescent or "day glo" pigment. The rigid display area has a thickness of {fraction (1/32)}th inch and four adhesive.
The invention is also a safety panel for a bicycle, wherein the display area has pigment embedded in the display material. The display wraps around the spoke of the wheel, in the direction of wheel rotation.
The invention particularly relates to the use of the device on a bicycle.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
A specific embodiment of the invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The present invention is detailed below with reference to the listed Figures.
Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments and that it can be practiced or carried out in various ways.
Referring to
The vehicle on which the invention can be used can be a bicycle, tricycle, unicycle, baby carriage, trailer, motorcycle, scooter, shopping cart, or wagon.
The safety device most preferably has a length between 4 inches and 13 inches, and a width of between 3.5 inches and 5 inches.
For wheels that range in diameter from 26 to 27 inches, the safety device has a 12.57 inch length and a width of 3.5 inches.
For wheels that have a diameter from 24 inches, the safety device has an 11 inch length and a width of 3 inches.
For wheels that range in diameter from 16 to 20 inches, the safety device has an 8 inch length and a width of 2.5 inches.
In a preferred embodiment shown in
In another preferred embodiment, the rigid display area has 60 degree arc.
The rigid display area 20 can be sheet plastic and utilize an adhesive that has a holding power of at least 1 lb per square inch, and withstand shear of up to 60 pounds per square inch.
Preferably the rigid display area 20 is made from polypropylene, Mylar, or an acrylic.
The adhesive of adhesive 30, 32, 34, and 36 can be a two sided adhesive tape capable of supporting at least 1 pound per square inch.
The safety device can have pigment disposed on the surface of the first side 22, or only on top of the rigid display area 20.
Preferably, the pigment can be in the form of lettering or logos. The pigment can be a phosphorescent, fluorescent, luminescent, or opaque pigment. The pigment can be embedded in the sheet plastic. Additional pigment can be disposed on the sheet plastic or rigid display area 20.
In another embodiment the adhesive strips can be square patches.
The first attachment end 26 of the rigid display area 20 folds around the second spoke 18 over the first spoke 16 and secures the first and second adhesive strips 30 and 32 to the third and fourth adhesive strips 34 and 36, such that the second spoke 18 nestles with the fold 38.
Referring to
As shown in
The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof and various changes in the method and system and in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction, may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.
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